---
title: "Why software projects fail"
url: https://daily.dev/posts/why-software-projects-fail-lhuqqg03j
source_url: https://swizec.com/blog/why-software-projects-fail/
type: article
source: "swizec.com"
published: 2024-09-03T02:49:01.798Z
updated: 2024-11-08T08:07:58.299Z
tags: ["architecture", "agile", "project-management"]
reading_time: 4
upvotes: 62
comments: 2
language: en
---

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# Why software projects fail

**[swizec.com](https://daily.dev/sources/swizec)** · 4 min read · 62 upvotes · 2 comments

## Summary

Flyvbjerg and Gardner's book 'How Big Things Get Done' explores why large projects often fail, citing themes like maximizing over satisficing, slow iteration, invention instead of reuse, scope creep, and overloading work in progress. Effective project management requires finishing work forcefully, avoiding unnecessary cleanups, opting for good-enough solutions, and embracing iterative planning.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://swizec.com/blog/why-software-projects-fail/>

## Community discussion

Top comments from developers on daily.dev.

**@kokwei325** · 1 upvotes

> The problem is client don’t like it mean it’s a bug. Even after we told client this is what they requested. More changes coming in, yes we can reuse the code or just make it work. But project still delay and delay launch because of the client

**@audreydev** · 0 upvotes

> Another great post.  Keep 'em comin' Swizec.  Thank you.

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---

Tags: [#architecture](https://daily.dev/tags/architecture), [#agile](https://daily.dev/tags/agile), [#project-management](https://daily.dev/tags/project-management)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/why-software-projects-fail-lhuqqg03j)